


Quietly

by LittleSweetCheeks



Series: While We Sleep [11]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Dreams, Friendship, Gen, Moving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-01
Updated: 2018-02-01
Packaged: 2019-03-12 11:31:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,361
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13546437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleSweetCheeks/pseuds/LittleSweetCheeks
Summary: Dave had wanted to retire quietly, but not at the risk of ending up like Gideon and Hotch, gone without a word.





	Quietly

He’d retired for good and had bought a second house close to Joy, so he had a place to stay without intruding on their routine. Dave had packed up the few things he’d wanted to have on the West Coast and had ordered everything else, because certain furnishings didn’t really worry him, and had headed out. The cleaners would come to his place in Virginia once a week to keep it tidy and make sure nothing happened. He wondered about the change in his life, how he’d returned to the BAU a lone wolf type, no family, no ties, no team, a man who could hunt any day of the week and answered to no one. And now he was leaving as a father, grandfather, lover to a woman he hadn’t seen in decades, tied to a team he couldn’t imagine having never known, and having a pack, a family, who expected to hear from him from time to time.

Dave had wanted to retire quietly, but not at the risk of ending up like Gideon and Hotch, gone without a word. The core group had been through that enough, it just wouldn’t be fair. Instead, he’d had them around to his house for dinner and had explained that he was working through summer, but in August he was retiring for good. He requested that it not be discussed at work, he wanted it to stay quiet so there was no fuss or fanfare. They’d all agreed and all too soon August had arrived and he found himself being silently surrounded by three members of the team while being very determinedly avoided by a fourth.

The dinner at his house later that night hadn’t been nearly as quiet.

Dave stood on his new deck and stared out at the view. The Pacific Ocean, in all it’s mighty glory. The air was salty and warm. He turned, there were two brand new Adirondack chairs, painted dark blue, just waiting for the paint to be worn down with use, for rings stains from beer bottles or coffee mugs to form. He sighed and shook his head. He didn’t know how long that second chair would have to sit empty.

Strolling back inside, Dave poured himself a glass of scotch and settled into his recliner with a book. It wasn’t like he had anyplace to be.

==

“There you are.”

Dave looked to his right as he stepped out onto the deck, finding the source of the voice. “Aaron! What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to talk, Dave.”

“I- I’ll go get us some drinks. Hold on.” He stepped back inside and found beers he didn’t remember buying in the fridge. “When did you get here?” He asked when he returned, settling in the remaining chair. “Did I know you were coming?”

Aaron took one bottle and took a pull. “No and as soon as you dozed off I guess.”

“What?”

He chuckled. “You’re asleep, Dave.”

“Where?” He looked around.

“In your living room, in that chair.”

“Really?” This was the most realistic dream he’d ever had.

“Yes, Dave. Really.”

He shook his head. “Okay. It’s still good to see you. It’s been too long.”

“It has.” Hotch rolled the bottle between his hands. “How are you?”

“Good. Retired again.”

“Working on another book?”

“No.” He chuckled. “I’ve moved not far from Joy, and perfect timing too because they’re having another baby soon. I can’t wait to help with whatever they need.”

Aaron smiled. “You’ll do great.”

“Thanks.” Dave placed his beer on the deck and relaxed back in the seat, staring up at the stars. “Remember when I tried to talk you into moving to Virginia?”

He copied his position, looking up. “Yeah. You dragged me to the bar of your hotel and drank me under the table. I wasn’t in much better shape the next morning when you returned me to Haley. Your business card and a job offer in my pocket.”

“So, you did get it. I always suspected.”

“And yet, you tried two more times.”

“I knew talent when I saw it.”

“And Haley knew a womanizer when she saw it.”

“Yeah, well…” He shrugged, not about to apologize now. “The third time though, you remember?”

Aaron grew quiet. “We were out somewhere… in the desert if I recall. It got late, and we had to stay with the dump site in case someone turned up.”

“We had been loaned that Buick.”

The corners of his mouth curled. “How, exactly, did I end up on the hood of it?”

“Something to do with a conversation about it being big enough for sex.”

“Right.”

“We stared up at the stars like this and you eventually admitted that Haley missed the East Coast.”

“And then you asked why I didn’t want to go back. What bad memories were there.”

“It was a reasonable question.”

“You were being an ass, Dave.”

“Be that as is may… I needed to know what landmines we might stumble on before we found them during a case.”

“Tell yourself whatever makes you feel good.”

Dave snorted and then grew serious. “The kids were upset when I retired. Even JJ.”

“Even JJ?”

“Well… you remember how fond she was of me on that first case…”

It was Aaron’s turn to snort. “You had no idea what you’d done, I had to step in before something bad happened.”

“So, you ripping me a new one was saving me?”

“Us.”

“Us?”

“You’ve seen JJ’s form of retribution. And as far as the team cared, I brought you in, we were both headed for that dog house.”

“Anyway.” Dave sighed. “I didn’t want to hold off and just vanish on them, so I told them months ago, but it still hurt. Emily and JJ acted strong and Morgan congratulated me when I spoke to him, but Penelope and Spencer… I’ve invited them out here as often as they want.”

“They both have issues with being abandoned.” Aaron lot his head roll to the side. “I’m glad you’ve reached out like that. They need someone stable who’s there for them.”

“Funny you should say that.” Dave turned to his friend. “Both of them came to me at different times and mentioned that it used to be you who was the most stable person. In their own ways, they admitted to being a little lost for a while without you.”

“I doubt that’s true.”

“Aaron.” He stretched out his name. “You never did know your own value.” He sat up and faced him now. “You are important, you always were. Maybe you were never a big shot or something, and I know you never wanted to be either, but you were important. You _are_ important. I wish you would have seen that more.”

“Maybe I needed someone to tell me more.”

“Maybe..” He considered it a minute and then let it go. “You were the most infuriating, stubborn, demanding, wonderful best friend a guy could get, you know that? I only wish I was able to tell you that in person, cause I really doubt, as well as I know you, that you believe it.”

“Which part?”

“The wonderful part. I’m pretty sure the rest of it is on purpose.” He snorted to himself as Aaron chuckled beside him. “You aren’t in Witness Protection anymore, but you haven’t exactly been forthcoming with your new permanent location either.”

Aaron broke into a grin. “Well, you know what they say. You can run…”

Dave smirked and nodded. “But you can’t hide from Penelope.”

“No.”

Dave watched as Aaron stood and walked to the railing. “Are you off now?”

“I have to go, you’ll need to wake up soon.” Aaron looked out over the water. “This is a beautiful view, very relaxing.”

Dave wanted to watch where he went next but he blinked and suddenly he was in his living room again. Standing, he headed out onto the deck to stare at the view. The sun was starting to set and in the shadows of the railings, he swore he could see a pair of damp rings on the wood of the deck between the chairs.

 


End file.
